Braving Michigan Winters With the On-Campus Free Winter Clothing Program

Stacks of shoe boxes stand on top of a table, and two racks of coats stand in the corner behind the table. The clothing is stored in a room with a low ceiling and windows letting in light from the left, with drawers and trophies on the right.
The stock of the free winter clothing program, including coats and boots, in a storage room in Stockwell Library. The Cutler Center buys these items new to give to students unequipped for their first Michigan winter (Photo by Bonnie Lord).

Michigan can expect a “wetter, warmer-than-average winter,” with “‘frigidly cold’ temperatures through Nov. 11,” according to predictions published by the Detroit Free Press. As Albion enters these colder months, students may find themselves in need of warmer clothing.

24% of Albion College students are from out of state, and 4% are international students, according to Albion College’s website. Though these students may be from places with weather similar to southern Michigan, many are from warmer climates. The Cutler Center for Student Success facilitates a free winter clothing program for those students, where they can find a winter coat and boots.

One such student, Dallas sophomore River Morelli, said they remember feeling the change in weather their first year.

“It kinda started getting cold in October, and I was like, ‘Okay, it’s like, kinda cold,’” Morelli said. “Back home it’s like 90 still.”

A close-up shot of a clothing rack shows a variety of army green and black coats hanging, their hangers labeled with different colors according to size. Behind the rack, trees showing bright fall colors can be seen through a window.
A selection of winter coats hang on a rack, the leaves outside turning bright colors as the cold months progress (Photo by Bonnie Lord).

According to Cutler Center Director and Assistant Dean for Student Success Chris Berry, the program reaches out to primarily first-years from warmer climates annually beginning in October.

Though Morelli said they didn’t personally use the program, they had friends who did.

“I remember that I went to Target and bought a puffer because it was so freezing outside,” Morelli said. “My friends from Michigan or the Midwest were like, ‘That’s excessive,’ but I was like, ‘But I’m so cold!’”

This year, Berry said the Cutler Center has reached out to 90 students so far. Already, the program has provided coats to about “40 to 45 students.” Berry added that he expects this number to climb.

“We generally tend to have a large group of students who take us up when the program starts, and then through the fall semester – like the first time we have a freeze – we’ll see some more students,” Berry said.

Every year, the program stocks two styles of coat, in both feminine and masculine styles, in sizes ranging from small to XXXL. This year, Berry said, options include four styles, two of which remain from last year.

In addition to providing coats, the program orders winter boots for those who need them, though Berry added that the program uses some discretion due to the expense. For Morrelli, who is now in their second year at Albion College, a pair of “good shoes” was a necessary investment after experiencing their first Michigan winter.

“I only brought regular sneakers or regular shoes, and I didn’t think ‘Oh I need actual shoes for snow and ice,’” Morelli said. “I wish someone would’ve told me to buy a better pair of shoes for last winter.”

Berry said the program is funded through the student assistance fund, often supported by alumni and other donors.

However, Berry added that through either monthly deductions or one-time donations, faculty and staff have been the primary support for the program.

In the first couple of years after the free winter clothing program began in 2016, Berry said the program provided some new coats but also took “gently used donations.” Once the program received more funding, the Cutler Center shifted to buying everything new.

According to Berry, the need for the program became apparent at this time as the college shifted to recruiting more out-of-state and international students.

“We just found ourselves with students who didn’t have the resources for a new heavy winter coat, but also had no experience buying one,” Berry said.

Since then, Berry said the Cutler Center has outfitted students from across the U.S., including Texas and California, to international students from Africa.

For Berry, the purpose of the program is to eliminate barriers and difficulties to student success; not having the right clothing for the weather can impact students’ “bandwidth” for their academic responsibilities.

“As much as possible that we can do to eliminate some of those barriers, those things that are taking up bandwidth, the better,” Berry said.

The program can also be a good way to introduce students to the Cutler Center, Berry added.

“Then, once they’ve been in our space and met people who work here, it’s more likely that they’ll come back and use other services,” Barry said.

Students interested in utilizing the free winter clothing program can talk to anyone in the Cutler Center, Berry said:

“Everybody on the team sort of knows the drill.”

Students are also welcome to contact Berry at cbberry@albion.edu.

About Bonnie Lord 53 Articles
Bonnie Lord is a junior from Alma, Michigan and is an environmental science major at Albion College. She is driven by community, justice and sustainability. She enjoys bird watching, reading and dismantling the patriarchy. Contact Bonnie via email at BFL10@albion.edu.

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